BCC is the fastest growing Massachusetts community college

FALL RIVER — With soaring enrollments increases during the past three years, it is not news to the faculty and staff at Bristol Community College that the college is growing fast.

FALL RIVER — With soaring enrollments increases during the past three years, it is not news to the faculty and staff at Bristol Community College that the college is growing fast.

But a recent special report by Community College Week found Bristol Community College is the fastest-growing community college in Massachusetts, and well ahead of most community colleges in the Northeast.

The biweekly publication used federal enrollment data from fall 2007 and fall 2008 academic years to analyze enrollment trends.

The report grouped colleges by similar enrollment size and cited percentages rather than enrollment numbers.

Bristol, which has grown from the eighth largest Massachusetts community college in 2000 to the third largest in Fall 2009, comes in at number 37 on the list of Top 50 Fastest Growing Community Colleges with enrollments from 5,000 to 9,999.

Bristol's one-year percentage increase cited in the report is 9.6 percent. The only other Massachusetts community colleges in any of the four institution size categories are Quinsigamond Community College (Worcester) at number 41; Bunker Hill Community College (Boston) at 48; and Northern Essex Community College (Haverhill) at 49 in the 5,000 to 9,999 category.

Seeing the data portrayed in this way paints a new picture for John J. Sbrega, Ph.D., president of the College. "While many other community colleges have reported enrollment growth, this listing affirms what I always say — that students recognize the outstanding educational quality available at BCC. It is recognition of this quality that starts with an unequaled faculty and staff and that continues to attract students."

He pointed out that Bristol Community College is the only community college to see steady upward growth throughout the decade since he became president in July 2000.

The enrollment growth, however, comes at a price. "One of our challenges has been to provide the learning spaces we need to accommodate these growing numbers of students," said Dr. Sbrega.

"We are continually retooling space to turn our 1970's campus into a state-of-the-art 21st century learning environment." Over the past four years the college has brought four classrooms online in Fall River. The College carved new classrooms out of former administrative space and modernized existing classrooms.

In addition, the College has opened new facilities in New Bedford and Attleboro, which fed the great pent-up demand for community college services in those communities.

Both sites are active and thriving, with more than 1,600 students in New Bedford and more than 1,200 in Attleboro.

The other cost of enrollment growth, of course, is the increase in people power required to provide the services students need to be successful.

"It is ironic that in the face of burgeoning enrollment we are so limited by the fiscal realities of our state appropriation," said Dr. Sbrega.

"More students mean more full-time faculty members are needed to teach them; more advisors are required to guide them; more service providers are needed to assist them; and more instructional space is necessary to seat them."

Growth continues at record levels at Bristol for this year — after yet another all-time high in the fall of more than 8,800 students, this coming spring semester is shaping up to break even more records.